Mar 27, 2012

Chicken Nest Box Curtains- More than a Fashion Statement

by
Kathy Shea Mormino

Nest box curtains are the place
where fashion meets function inside the chicken coop.

Yes, nest box curtains can add a whimsical, fashionable touch to a chicken coop, but more importantly, they serve several important functions in the management of a backyard flock. A discovery born of necessity in
my chicken coop, nest box curtains evolved as the result of my efforts to deter
my first flock from sleeping in the nest boxes. At six weeks of age, I moved my
first dozen chickens from their brooder into the Big Girl Coop and while the
nest boxes wouldn’t be needed for another three months, they were ready for
action, full of clean straw in anticipation of fresh eggs. However, not having
had a roost in their brooder box, my chickens were not aware that roosts were intended
for sleeping upon and they began huddling in the nest boxes at dusk, hunkering
down for the night in the comfy straw.

Overnight, the straw became sullied
with droppings and the nest boxes reduced to outhouse status. Nest boxes are
supposed to be a safe-haven for egg-laying and mother hens, not used as bedrooms
or latrines. I needed to figure out how to keep the ladies out of the nest
boxes. Having somehow missed Chicken Psychology 101 in law school, I began
scouring the Internet for suggestions for outwitting my nest box nappers.

The best suggestion I could find
for discouraging these unwanted slumber parties was to drape burlap over the
front of the nest boxes. I assume the theory was that the burlap created an
“out-of-sight-out-of-mind” scenario. Whatever the rationale, I was skeptical it
would work at all, but I had nothing to lose by trying it. So, armed with my
trusty staple gun,, I headed to the coop to
install landscaper-grade burlap in front of the nest boxes.

My original nest box curtains. Charming, no?

Much to my surprise and delight,
within a week of hanging the burlap, the chicks stopped sleeping in the nest
boxes entirely and began claiming their positions on the roosts at night! While
I was pleased with the result, I was not thrilled with the appearance or
performance of the burlap- it frayed and began unraveling, making an unsightly
mess as pine shavings stuck to it. While a cat might have appreciated the
entertainment value of the burlap strands, I did not and was concerned that the
chickens might become entangled in them, so I hit the linen closet for an
alternate material.

The burlap was replaced by an
old vinyl tablecloth, but that didn’t work well either; I found
that the flocking on the back of the vinyl was also a pine shavings
magnet- it looked messy and I soon replaced it too. The third and final
material choice fit the bill perfectly: a colorful remnant of cotton fabric from
kitchen curtains that had formerly hung in my bachelorette apartment.
It was bright, cheery, did not collect bedding, was washable, free and most
importantly, it kept the young chickens out of the nest boxes at night

The idea of nest box curtains had
hatched and as outlandish as the concept of curtains in a chicken coop may
sound, they actually have many practical implications beyond solving the
original problem that inspired their evolution.

BENEFITS OF NEST BOX CURTAINS

Laying Privacy

Hens
prefer laying their eggs in a dark, private place. The desire for privacy is
likely an evolutionary adaptation resulting from the need to hide potential
offspring and hatched chicks from predators. Hens lay a clutch of eggs over a
period of a week or two before setting in earnest to hatch them, if the eggs
are not kept in a secluded location, they risk being lost to hungry predators
before the setting period can begin. Many chicken-keepers tell tales of stumbling
upon a hidden nest of eggs in the yard laid by free-range hens whose instinct
to conceal and protect them is still very strong. Nest box curtains provide
hens with the darkness, privacy and secrecy they insist upon when
egg-laying and caring for newly hatched chicks.

Broody
Hen Deterrence/

Broody
Hen Accommodations

A "broody" is a hen who is
motivated by various biological and environmental factors to sit on a
clutch of eggs and hatch chicks. Broodiesinspire other broodies. The power of maternal suggestion is strong among hens
and with some, the sight of another broody on a nest is all it takes to
encourage her predisposition to set. Witnessing
a collection of eggs in a nest box can also promote broodiness. Broodies are
wonderful to have in a flock if the
chicken-keeper is interested in having baby chicks hatched at the whim of a
hen’s biological inclinations.

For a variety of reasons, however,
a broody hen may not be desirable in a backyard flock. When that is the case,
nest box curtains keep broodies and eggs out of view,
reducing the likelihood of a laying flock turning into a setting flock.

Discouraging
Vent Picking

Nest box
curtains can significantly reduce the risk of hens being injured by flock
mates while egg-laying. When laying an egg, a portion of a hen’s reproductive tract becomes visible momentarily as it escorts the egg out of the vent. Chickens
explore their world with their beaks and an innocent passerby witnessing the spectacle may
be drawn to the moist, pink tissue and peck at it, causing injury to the laying
hen. Once pecking begins and blood is drawn, other flock members may join in
the bloody investigation. This cannibalistic behavior endangers the life of the
laying hen if it is not interrupted.

Discouraging Egg-Eating
It may
come as a surprise to learn that chickens will eat raw eggs out of the
nest boxes, but who can blame them? They’re fresh, tasty and nutritious.
However, egg-eating is a habit that should be discouraged as soon as
possible after discovery. Not only does it reduce the number of eggs available
for collection, it is a habit that is quickly learned by other flock
members and is extremely difficult to break.

The less
visible eggs are in a nest, the less likely chickens are to
explore them with their beaks, break one open and discover what
we already know- they're delicious! Nest box curtains keep eggs out of sight from chickens and hopefully, out of mind.

Making and Using Nest Box Curtains

Nest box
curtains can be made of a variety of materials from burlap to vinyl, cotton to
empty feed sacks and beyond. They can be stapled to the nest boxes or hung with
curtain rods. They can be sewn or not. The chickens tend not to express
opinions about their color, pattern or material- they do care about being able
to gain access to the nest boxes, however. Vertical strips should be cut into
the material from the bottom towards the top, stopping a few inches from the
top of the nest box in order to facilitate entering and exiting it.

Young
birds that have yet to lay eggs do not need nest boxes, but it’s advisable to
hang the curtains before their occupation of the coop if possible. Pullets will
begin testing out the nest boxes just prior to laying their first eggs. They
will walk through the nest box curtains and discover the nest boxes at that
time if not before.

Older hens having lived in a coop without nest box curtains may be wary of them
initially, but ordinarily get past any apprehension fairly quickly. Once they
have inspected the nest boxes and deemed them worthy of egg-laying they will
appreciate the privacy upgrade from coach to first class.

After reading this about a month ago I added curtains to the list of things I NEED in my coop. Hubby thinks I'm crazy, but he won't read all the things I have read & we'll see if my chickens are better layers than his moms chickens were! Thank you for all your wonderful information! Very Helpful! - Audrey Siebert

BTW I have followed you for a while now & have your page Linked on my blog (http://newhomebeginnings.blogspot.com/)

Oooo...I like the idea of curtains. Gonna do that for sure. My peeps are 3wks old so I have some time. :) Question, though. I see your nesting boxes are level with the floor of the coop. I always thought they should be off the ground. Does the height of nesting boxes matter?

The height of the nest boxes relative to the floor doesn't matter but the height relative to the roosts DOES. Chickens like to roost at night as high up as possible, so the roosts should always be higher than the nest boxes so they don't sleep in the nest boxes. Poop in nest boxes=dirty eggs and sleeping in nest boxes is a difficult habit to break. If your flock is brand new, I would shut the nest boxes so they can't get into them intially. Once they become accustomed to sleeping on the roosts, you can open them up for business.

My girls didn't get the memo about privacy. They both lay their eggs in the doorway leading out of their coop into the run. I hope they don't teach my new girls this bad habit. Defeats the purpose of the external door to the next boxes.

Love the chicken cam. We also use a barn cam to check up on our horses and chickens. It comes in handy when we're on the road. We were over an hour away from our farm when my wife checked the barn cam and saw one of our horses hoofs was caught in the hay net. We called our neighbor and she went over to help. Thank god for that barn cam and great neighbors.

Thank you so much for this info! My partly grown chickens keep sleeping in the regular sized hens' nest boxes and, you guessed it, pooping in them! I keep trying to get my husband just to hang a bit of screen over them at night, using a couple of nails, and then removing it in the morning when he opens the run door to let them out for the day,but he just hasn't kept it up. I'm pretty frustrated about that. I'm glad that you posted this idea because it will save me getting mad at him for not doing it. Especially since I'm the one who usually cleans the nest boxes and I'm the one who has to clean dirty eggs.My husband will think I'm crazy, but I'm going to go look through my fabric right now to see what I can staple up. Question: Which is better: individual pieces, one in front of each nest box, or one big piece across them all?

I tried to get my husband to simply hang a bit of wire screening in front of the boxes to keep the smallest chicks from sitting in them each night, but he hasn't kept it up (he did it ONE night). I'm so glad to see your post about putting curtains up. Maybe it will save me from being upset about this with my husband. LOL. After all, I'm usually the one who has to clean out the poopy nest boxes AND clean the dirty eggs. Question: Do you recommend individual pieces of fabric, one in front of each nest box, or could one long piece of fabric work?

I'm so excited, and can not wait to decorate our new coop!! Just waiting to hear from the rollback driver if the one I found on Craig's List can be moved!!I never thought about nesting box curtains. It makes sense though, we found eggs everwhere (on top of the rabbit hutch, under the balance beam covered with a tarp, under the azaela bushes, etc.) around the yard until they decided on our dog's Igloo Dog House.Also, the coop I am trying to get has more boxes than roosting space, and it appeared like the girls are sleeping in the boxes. Now I know how to hopefully correct this!!

Love your coop! Inspired to go decorate our three. We have nest box sleepers too! Maybe the curtains will work. At first did your laying hens not want to go in to lay with the curtains up? Also love the grate under the roost...awesome idea. That area gets so poopy. :)

They never had any qualms about going in the nest boxes, Melissa. As for the droppings pit, I don't recommend it. I far prefer a droppings board; you can read about droppings boards on my post here: http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/04/droppings-boards-because-poop-happens.html

Would love to know what you used to set up the chicken cam and how. Love the foral curtains, lends a bright cheery touch to the coop. Keeping them clean would be a challege ~ how often do you find the need to replace them?

I'm all set to make my girls some curtains--one or two questions though: do you make them the whole length of the nest box opening? In some of your photos, it looks like there's a 3" or so gap between the curtains and the bottom of the nest box door. Also, does it matter much how far apart the slits are? thanks so much!

Thank you for writing all this and making it available! My 2nd hen has been laying for a week (in the nesting boxes w/curtains). My 1st layer has been laying for 2 weeks & just started laying in the nesting boxes after a week of curtains which was a week of laying across the coop from the nesting boxes w/out curtains. Curtains must be what she needed! I searched how to get a chicken to lay eggs in a nesting box and found your site. I love it! We also have chicken cams. It started as chick cams when they were in the house so I could check on them when I wasn't home and now has evolved into 8 chicken cams covering the coop and run. Happy to see we're not the only crazy ones! Thank you for all the pictures and writing you've done here and on facebook!

What a lovely site! I'll be a first-time-ever chicken owner this coming spring (2014). Am in the process of learning all I can. I noticed in one of your pixes what looks like a large piece of PVC attached to the wall vertically with a feed bowl under it? Is this a homemade feeder?

I currently have our nest boxes blocked off since The Ladies aren't ready to lay yet. If I do curtains from the start will they know to venture behind the curtain or should I leave the boxes open for a day or so first?

Our bay chicks just turned one month old. We have had two snow storms already here in Wyoming (yes its only oct 4th) and they are handling the weather great thanks to some of your tips. We have given them warm soup, which they go crazy for and other fun snacks to keep them occupied indoors. We have a little while before they start laying, I will definitely keep curtains in mind! I love your blog, thank you!

I'm sorry I might be a little dense, but question.... If you use the curtains to deter the littles why doesn't it deter the hens from laying?? I'm not so sure it would deter my littles whom I'd love to move to the big girl roost.

Laying hens appreciate privacy- they seek it out. The curtains provide them with darkness and privacy that they prefer. Usually by the time the littles wander into the coop, the sun has begun to set and they don't see well at night. All but the most determined chicks will hop up onto the roost vs walking through curtains into a dark nest box. If you do find chickens in the nest boxes while closing up the cop for the night, simply put the chickens on the roost. A week or two of this usually teaches them that the roosts are the place to be all night, not the nest boxes.

If you have no laying hens, block off the nest boxes completely with a board or something that fills the boxes, such as egg cartons. I would still put the curtains up again. Try stapling them with a heavy duty stapler (not an office stapler).

I'm going to sew some tomorrow during storm #2 for this week.... My ladies however don't mind the snow so much. They are laying everyday without artifical light! I think the reflection of the sunlight on the snow is helping :)

Cathy, I've had curtains up in our nest boxes since I read this post last summer (2013) & they've discouraged all but one hen to roost at night. She WILL NOT give up sleeping there & I move her each night when I go close the pop doors & do the head count. Any advice? She's not broody & not low in the pecking order. We have plenty of roost space... I just don't know what to do! I'm getting real tired of cleaning poop out of that box every day.

I have one or two who do the same thing from time-to-time. I figure I have to close up the coops every night anyway, it's not that big a deal to move them from nest to roost. At least it keeps the nest poop-free for early birds who want to lay eggs first thing in the morning.

I had a hen that did the same thing... after they had laid for day I put a big bucket in the nest box and just took it out in the morning when I opened the coop. Believe me put something in there that is big and fills up the next box.... I had put a smaller flower pot in there- but she slept right with it.. so I got a big bucket and did that for about two weeks and she hasn't done it since :)

I have an injured chicken, she drags her leg I think its dislocated from the hip, should I put her down or what do you suggest. She is in a kennel resting and she has been in there for about two weeks, she eats well and is as fisty as ever, what do you suggest. Please email me. Thanks.

I have four 9 month old layers, Lucy a SS, sisters Amelia and Jethrine, Ameraucanas, and Dyna a mixed BCM/silky. The big girls will not let my 11-week old girls, Pearl a BR and Daisy a BO, up on the roost at night. Needless to say they curl up in a nesting box together. They actually have their own coop, but have graduated to wanting to be with the big girls. Unfortunately the feeling is not mutual. They are all together all day, well they don't hang together, but they are not penned separately. Bums me out the big girls are being so mean to them, but they are not hurting them. HELP!

Kathy is there a certain place or height the nest boxes need to be? The little coup I have isn't going to do...I have to modify it big time just to get a roost in there that's appropriate for the size of a grown chicken. The coup and chickens are in a nice size enclosure for their safety. I'm looking to place the next boxes outside of the coup yet inside the enclosure...is that ok? Also what are the matts, you mentioned in another article, called for the nesting boxes? My older babies are at 15 weeks on Monday. I gotta get this created and soon :) Thank you for all of your help...couldn't imagine doing this without you :)

I always learn something new here, thank you!!! I put up curtains, for the reasons you mentioned, except...discouraging vent picking! Never occurred to me. It's also never happened, so I guess we're lucky or the curtains work!!!

My first curtains were of an adorable egg pattern with red background, to 'inspire' the ladies to lay (LOL). They were terrified of them. I made new ones, no more fear. Put the red ones back up, they wouldn't go near them. Guess red isn't my ladies color,haha. I finally ended up cutting up a reusable blue, beach scene, Trader Joes grocery sack, for easy cleaning, and they all love them.....silly chickens. :)

And to answer someone's question about length, I left an inch or two at the bottom, so they can see to hop in, etc. But that's just MY way of doing it.

I just have a couple of questions. Is it ok to have round poles for the roost and if the coop is large and nesting boxes an roost are on opposite walls does it matter if nesting boxes are higher? My older chickens are roosting in the nesting boxes. Will curtains cure this?

I put some curtains in a couple of days ago because this year's hatch (almost point of lay) have been hanging around the nesting boxes and eating eggs like the unruly teenage gang that they are. But now my hens aren't laying! I don't think they like the change. I have a couple that will go in and sit for a while but the others just stand there on the ground looking up at the boxes. I'm starting to find the odd egg out in the paddock under the bushes and I wonder how many others have been laid and eaten out there. :(

I am new to all of this. Our 4 month old Oprington just laid her first egg today. The hens had all been sleeping in the nesting boxes, prior to this, as I keep finding it full of poop. I clean it out and put in new material, and they have two roosting posts. I didn't read any of this prior.....so now my question is...if one hen laid in there today, will she continue..will the others follow suit? Will they still sleep and poop in there now that they know that is where to lay? Or should I put up curtains and try to train them to sleep on the posts at night? I have 3 more that seem about ready to lay and have been in an out of the nesting box all day!

Well. . .I have added nest box curtains to inhibit egg eating. . .today, it worked. We will continue to hope it does for all time! I was so upset and discouraged when I found the egg, so I went to work! New navy blue curtains on the nest boxes. One of my roosters was in the box this morning, so I think he approves!

I feel really dumb, I am new t this, just started in April, did not know that the chickens were not supposed to sleep in nest at night, we did build roost in the coop but they sleep in the nest boxes, I assumed that was where they were supposed to sleep? now I'm confused

My young hens had just begun laying. Because they had been sleeping in the nesting boxes they were messy and they didnt want to lay their eggs there. Curtains solved these problems overnight! Thank you so much!

My chickens had a really rough summer. We live in a heavily wooded rural area near a lake and started raising chickens for eggs and meat about 4 years ago. Haven't had many problems with my flock until this summer. First we had a respiratory ailment that had to be treated. Next, just as my newest chicks were beginning to explore the world outside of the coop, we had several near misses by hawks. About the time they were 12 weeks old we had a pair of coyotes that moved into the area who made numerous raids that resulted in the loss of 1 good laying RIR and 2 of my chicks. Then we discovered roundworms and had to treat for worms. Needless to say, our egg count was down to nearly zero after all that stress (still have 1 little hen laying nothing but soft-shells). So now we've dealt with all of those stressful issues but the egg count was still only 1 or 2 eggs (maybe) a day. Then I found your article about nestbox curtains. My husband thought I was nuts when I cut up one of his old t-shirts and made curtains for the nest boxes, but the difference was immediate. The day I hung the curtains, we only got one egg. The next day it was 3, then 5, and now we are back to at least 4 eggs a day! Expecting the count to go up as my new girls reach maturity! So, Chicken Chick, I think I love you! Awesome idea, those curtains are!

Chicken chick! I have a question. We have 12 chickens; 2 are 2 years old, 5 are 1 year old, and 6 were just born in May. We usually get between 4-5 eggs a day, but suddenly we are getting none. Last week we were getting maybe 1-2. This weekend we gave away two hens which I suspect were the only ones laying! Then I put up nest box curtains this past weekend because two of them were clearly sleeping in the boxes and that had to stop. My question is, will they know to use the boxes even with the new curtains? Also, does the stress of losing two hens maybe make them not lay? Do you have any ideas on why else they might have stopped? Thanks in advance!!

Hi Kathy, LOVE, LOVE,LOVE your site! so much great, helpful information. As a newbie to the back yard chicken adventure, I need all the help possible. I do have one question to ask of you. I'm wondering if I could use a closet pole for a roosting post? it's made out of wood but has a plastic coating on it. I figured it would make it easy to wash down with soapy water. I'm trying to make my coop work for me than me work for it! Any thoughts?

Try this before putting her down: First, give her some aspirin in water. Then... follow your fingers up her normal leg into the joint and see what a good leg really feels like to compare. If you can feel it is dislocated, make one quick attempt to snap it back into place. It will work if you grip her RIGHT BELOW the joint and snap hard (hard for a chicken that is) and fast. Don't be shy about it, but also don't use the force you would need on say a puppy.

She might have a knee-jerk reaction to stretch the leg out, or a spasm that kicks it back out of place. So, holding the leg in place, fold it up under her so it doesn't slide back out. The take an ace bandage of some kind and wrap her in it for at least a few hours. She wont be able to move well, so place her in her comfy spot (or just hold her if she's that kind of chicken) and let her be. For wing injuries you can even wrap a chicken in paper plates and duct tape them down. Looks horrible but its effective.Once the aspirin wears off, release her (slowly guiding her leg back down) gently and see what happens. She will limp around for about an hour because the bandage alone will cause discomfort but after an hour, if she's not doing better then put her down. God bless our feather babies and the joy they bring us. All we can do, is the best we can do.

Hi, I am new to raising chickens. I have been having a problem with one of my hens, Dottie. She is bigger than all the other ladies and the rooster in my flock. Since she's bigger than them all, I guess she believes she is dominate over them all so she crows just like a rooster. Ever since she started crowing, Cash, my rooster, stopped crowing. What should I do to prevent her from crowing?

We originally had 13 RIR hens and two roosters (one RIR and one Buff Cochin). The Cochin had one hen that he controlled. Neither of them ever got on the roost and both slept on the floor. He was becoming too aggressive and we removed him from the flock. Now the hen sleeps in the nesting box and we cannot get her to stop. We have curtains up so there is privacy. We've blocked off one nesting box and she moved to another one. Is there anyway to get her to stop sleeping in the nesting boxes without blocking them all off?

I have a nesting box made with three separate plastic (dish washing size) rubbermaid containers. So this can house three hens, three "nests", and one box. Do I need to separate the containers so they each have a "stall"? Also, reference the curtains, they can stay up all day and night? Thank you!

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